Typewriting machine



June 9, 1931. c, s EY 1,808,909

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Feb. 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.2

INVENTOH= Jun e 9, 1931. I B STI KNEY 1,808,909

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Feb. 7, i950 ZSheets-Sheet 2 Y Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IB'URNHAM C. STICKNEY, OF HILLSIDE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD ELLIOTT FISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE TYPEWRITING MACHINE Application filed. February 7, 1930. Serial No. 426,495.

This invention relates to the type-actions of portable typewriting machines of the typebar class.

In this class of machines, the type-bar system, which is of less than standard width,

has far less width than the keyboard, although the width of the keyboard is not reduced from standard.

In an effort to overcome the difliculty aris ing from this discrepancy, the key-levers have been made to converge considerably from the keyboard rearwardly, as in the Burridge Patent No. 1,268,790. In said patent further difficulty arises because the bellcranks, which connect the key-levers to the type-bars, Work in convergent planes. The pull-links are also fanned out or convergent, and all of the links at the extreme sides of the system are objectionably diagonal. Difficulty arises from the side strains to which the various elements are subjected.

In the Kurowski Patent 1,67 3,289, the typebars are increased in number about fifty percent, and the width of the type-bar system is increased over that of the Burridge patent, but the width of the keyboard remains unchanged. The discrepancy between the width of the type-bar system and the width of the keyboard is therefore so far reduced,

in the Kurowski patent, that the key-levers are made all parallel, instead of converging, as shown in the Burridge patent. There still remains in the Kurowski patent, however, a great difference between the width of the typebar system and the width of the key-lever system, and the necessity remains for the outermost Kurowski key-levers to be connected to their type barsby means of links which extend diagonally back from the bellcranks to the type-bars; the rear ends'of the Kurowski bell-cranksbeing also bent diagonally, and the rear end of the outer pull-link overlying the eighth inward key-lever. The bell-cranks in the Kurowski patent work in planes parallel with parallel key-levers, but the pull exerted by said outer bell-cranks is diagonal, and tends to create binding at the joints, with lack of smoothness of operation and liability of parts sticking.

One of the objects of the present invention necessary to employ a bail for crossing other is to provide a system of type-actions in which these and other difliculties are avoided, and to that end the bell-cranks are made to draw entirely in parallel planes, and the pulllinks work in the same planes as the bellcranks; and the objectionable crossing of key-levers by the pull-links is avoided.

In carrying out this invention, it is contrived that the outermost key-lever shall be connected to one arm of its bell-crank, while the outermost type-bar shall be connected to another arm of the same bell-crank, but neither of said arms pulls or draws in a direction diagonal to the parallel key-levers, but each arm works in a vertical plane which is parallel to the plane of the key-lever. The bell-crank is made in the form of a cross-bail, having such length that it passes'from its key-lever across several other key-levers. At its inner end, the bell-crank terminates in a type-bar driving arm from which a link runs straight back to the type-bar, without crossing other key-levers. This gives parallelism to the links, which at their rear ends are grouped in an inclined are, where they con nect to the type-bars, and at their forward ends in a dipping curve, corresponding to the tips of the drive-arms of the bell-cranks. This parallelism avoids all side strain on pull-links and bell-cranks, and the driving power all goes in direct lines and not diagonally, thus curing the difliculty of side twists and strains and binding.

Not all of the bell-cranks are bails, but the second key-lever is connected by a bailshaped bell-crank to an inner type-bar, and so on, for about six key-levers at each side of the system.

At the middle of the system, most of the key-levers are connected to bell-cranks of the ordinary style, each in the form of a single plain or fiat plate. This is done where the key-lever and the link occupy about the same vertical plane, and Where, therefore, it is unkey-levers. Several of these fiat or simple bell-cranks are interspersed with bell-cranks of the bail type, the machine preferabl having sixteen of the simple cranks and ve of the bails at each side. The bails may be am and both plain cranks and bails may internest with the different sets.

These bails compensate for the great discrepancy between the type-bar system and the key-lever system, and may be compacted by means of'the nesting arrangement, preferably two of the bails in one nest having their shaftportions overlying the key-levers, and three of the bails in another nest preferably extending downwardly and rearwardly from their pivots and nested beneath the key-levers. The bail-arms in the various sets are interspersed one with another and with some of the plain or fiat bell-cranks.

The necessity of employment of trained machinists to bend and adjust the bell-cranks and key-levers, and to overcome the liability of binding, is avoided, and the parts may be all cheaply made and assembled by comparatively unskilled labor. The pull is all in a direct line with no side strains or liability of binding, so that trouble is not likely to arise from use or aging of the machine.

A feature of the invention is that the types may be arranged in different order in the type-basket from the order shown in said patents, although the order of the keys remains unchanged. Theorder shown in said patents is the usual one, in which certain types in frequent use are placed next to each other. According to the present invention the type E is separated from the type D, and other desired allocations of types may be secured.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an Underwood standard portable typewriting machine having four rows of keys, and embody the present improvements in one form.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan of the preferred order of types and connections.

Figure 3 is a perspective illustrating some of the plain bell-cranks and some of the bail connections'used between various keys and type-bars.

Figure 4 is a sectional front elevation, showing the improved system of straight-line connections between the wide four-row keyboard and the narrow portable type-bar system.

Figure 5 is a plan of the invention seen at Figure 3.

Type-keys 10 form a system of four rows or banks mounted on the forward ends of levers 11, which are parallel and rearwardly extending, .and work in parallel vertical planes, being pivoted at their rear ends upon a transverse fulcrum-rod 12.. They are returned by springs 13, as usual in said Underwood machine.

A system of t pes 14 is mounted upon typebars 15', pivote upon a curved rod 16 1n a seg-' ment 17 to strike rearwardly and downwardly against a platen 18, which has a case-shiftcranks. The stress upon each part is in the same direction as the plane of movement of said part, and the moving parts are directly connected in their respective planes of action.

Heretofore the outermost key-lever has been provided with a diagonal connection to the outermost type-bar; the next key has been provided with a diagonal connection to the next type-bar, and so on, setting up the side stress and binding above referred to.

According to the present improvements, the outermost type-bars in the system, say as many as five, are connected by transverse bails to various type-bars, whereby each keylever may be connected to one arm of its bail, and the corresponding type-bar may be connected tothe other arm of the same bail; the bail being equivalent to a rock-shaft having two arms integral therewith, and having a broad pivotal bearing and consequent easy movement at each end. The transmitting arm of the bail is connected to the type-bar by means of a pull-link which goes directly back in the plane of movement of the bail, so that the pull of the link is practically in bail-arm.

The outermost of the key-levers 11 is connected by a bell-crank bail 19 and pull-link 29 to the seventh type-bar 15 from the right, as will be understood from Figure 5. The next inner key-lever is connected by a bail 20 and link to the fourth type-bar from the right. The third key-lever is connected by bail 21 to the nineteenth type-bar from the right, Figure 5. The fourth key-lever is connected by a bail 22 to the sixteenth type-bar from the right. The fifth key-lever is connected by a bail 23 to the thirteenth type-bar from the right.

At the left side of the machine, the arrangement may correspond generally to that already described; so that the machine may include ten bails, five at each side, for connecting up the ten key-levers which lie outside of the zone of the type-bar system.

The fol'wardlyextending arms-24of the bails are slotted at 25, and the key-levers have pins 26. to work in the slots, which are directed upwardly and forwardly from a pivot-wire 27 upon which the bails work, in a suitable manner, to give the proper leverage to the tion easily. These slotted power-arms 24 of system, and are connected by pull-links 29 to short arms 30 of the type-bars.

Each of these outermost bails has its slotted arm in a different plane from the transmitting arm of the same bail, but it will be seen On the contrary, the operation is made easier by reason of the great width of the pivotbearing of the bail; and liability is minimized or eliminated of clogging or binding of the bell-crank, as compared wth the rior constructions in which the outermost e -levers were connected by diagonal trains to t e typears.

The pull-links 29 are parallel with one another, and extend downwardly and rearwardly from the transmitting arms 28, the latter extending upwardly and rearwardly from their pivots 27 An easy starting action is secured by reason of the relationship of 28 and 29, but without subjecting any of the members to side strain or binding, which has heretofore been unavoidable.

The remaining bell-cranks are plain or fiat, each working all in one plane, and these fiat bell-cranks are interspersed with the transmitting arms of the bail-form bell-cranks, and some are placed next to one another. Beginning at the middle of the machine and counting towards the right at Figure 5, preferably the first, second, fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth, tenth,- eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first bell-cranks are plain or flat, that is, not in bail form.

By using the internested bails interspersed with plain bell-cranks, there are secured cheapness, simplicity and compactness, the plain bell-cranks being particularly adapted for coordination or internesting with the nested bail bell-cranks.

In each half-section of the machine, there are preferably two nests, one taking in the two outermost key-levers and consisting of a short bail 20 nested within a long bail 19, Figures 1 and 5, and both overlying the intervening key-levers 11, and both occupying positions below the type-bars. The cross-bar 20 is very close to the cross-bar 19, securing compactness.

At each side of the machine,the cross-bars of the remaining bell-cranks are ranged in rear of the fulcrum 27, Figures 1 and 3, the shortest of the three bell-cranks in this set being marked 23, and being nested within the bail that is marked 22, and the latter being nested within the bail marked 21, Figure 5.

The cross-bars of the bails 21, 22, 23 are arranged on edge and close to one another 9 facewise, to economize room, and they exthat there are no side strains in operation.

tend beneath the transmitting or drive arms of the bell-cranks, and beneath the ke -levers. They are mounted'to extend behind t e crossbar 31, which carries the fulcrum-rod 27, and which is slotted at 32 for the bails. This cross-bar has a forwardly-extending flange 33 for stiffness, and connects the opposite sides of the base 34 of the typewriting machine, being secured by screws 35 to a pad 36 provided upon said base.

It will be noted at Figure 5 that the bellcrank slots 32 may be disposed in separate groups, corresponding with the positions of the various bell-crank arms. Each plain bellcrank needs only one slot 32, while each bailform bell-crank may have two slots, the latter separated according to the location of the bell-crank in its nest. The individual slots for the plain bell-cranks are interspersed with the separated slots for the opposite?- arms of the respective bell-cranks, as will be understood upon inspection of the right-hand portion of Figure 5.

If desired, the plain bell-cranks 37 may correspond in contour and operation with the 1 practice in the Underwood machine, as shown diagrammatically; but the outermost of the plain bell-cranks 38 and 39 are specially shaped, that is, each transmitting arm has an elbow-form, so as to clear the cross-bars 19 and 20 of the outermost bails. This clearance elbow is designated as 40, Figure 1, the

transmitting arm bending upwardly from its pivot, then rearwardly to the elbow, and thence upwardly to the type-operating link 29. All six of the transmitting arms at the extreme sides of the system may be all pro vided with these elbows, in order to clear the upper bail 19. Except for this clearance elbow, these fewfiat bell-cranks at the sides may be of known form.

The necessity of the use of diagonal connecting links between the outer type-bars and the outer key-levers having been eliminated,

the pull-links 29 may all be made substantially parallel in normal positions. The forward ends of these links form a clipping curved line 40 and swing upwardly and forwardly about the pivots 27, as indicated diagrammatically by the curved lines 41. The rear ends of the links swing in curves 42 about the type-bar pivots. Side strain is, however, practically eliminated, and freedom of motion is assured throughout the life of the machine, and little or no attention will be needed for lubricating, cleaning or repair.

In order to minimize the number of bails that are necessary to be employed, the width of the system of short type-bar arms 30 has been increased by lengthening said arms 30 upon the outermost type-bars, as compared with present practice. This increases the length of travel of the link 29 and of the,

transmitting arms 38 of the bell-cranks, the

tips of which may swing up into the spaces left by the type-bars as they swing to the printing point.

At each side of the system the ten outermost arms 30 may haye the increased length 5 already mentioned, thereby bringing the links 29 all into parallelism, 'and providing clearance of each type-action between the adjacent type-actions at the printing strokes. The rear end of each link travels in are 42, and its front end in are 41. If desired, the type-bars may be ,cut away or bowed upwardly to give more underlying clearance for the links and for the tips of the adjacent bell-cranks.

()ne of the forms or arrangements of the invention is seen at Figure 5, in which, counting to the right from the center of the machine, the third, sixth and ninth bell-cranks arebails; two plain bell-cranks are interposed between the third and sixth, and two more between the sixth and the ninth. These are the bails numbered 21, 22 and 23, having their cross-bars at the rear.

Nestedwithin this set of three bails are as nine plain bell-cranks and also the drive-arms of the two bail-form overhead bell-cranks 19 and 20. It will be seen that the sixth of the bell-cranks that are nested within 23, consists of bail 19. The next two, counting toward the right, are plain bell-cranks; while the succeeding one is the inner arm of bail 20. VVithin the bail 20, which is the shortest, are nested three plain bell-cranks, andalso the power-. arms of bell-cranks 23, 22 and 21.

It will be perceived that while one or two of the outermost type-bars may be connected by plain bell-cranks to their key-levers, still the remaining five key-levers toward the right at Figure 5, being entirely outside the typebar zone, may all be connected by bail-form bell-cranks to their type-bars, and that these bails may be extended inwardly toward the center of the type-bar system for various distances, until they can be connected by straight-line connections to their type-bars; while as many of the type-bars as possible should be operated by the simple bell-cranks.

In carrying out this design, some of the bails may be made very long, as, for example, the bail 21 that is connected to the third keylever from the right at Figure 5, which extends inwardly and is connected to the third type-bar from the middle at Figure 5. By using the two assortments of nested bails, and internesting them with each other, and by dispersing properly located plain bell-cranks in each nesting, the desired straight-line system of connections can be secured, although considerable variation in dimensions and in nesting, etc., may be resorted to within the scope of the invention.

One of the objections to front-strike typewriting machines is that some of the frequent- 1 1y used types have not been given sufficient separation in the type-basket; as, for example, the types e and d are commonly placed closely together in portable machines. The present invention overcomes this difiiculty, as the order of the types in the t pebasket is not the same as the order of the keylevers, nor is it generally dependent thereon. At Figure 2, by the use of bails 19 and 20, andproperly located plain bell-cranks, the types e and d are separated by the type q; and other improvements over standard practice are seen. There are many othervariations that may be effected by means of the present invention.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a portable typewriting machine having a standard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less width than the key-lever system, and a system of driving connections between the key-levers and the t pebars, said driving connections including bellcranks, some of which are plain or flat and 90 others of which are in the form of bails extending inwardly from the outer key-levers, each bail including an outer power-arm engaging its key-lever and also including an inner arm connected to drive the type-bar, the 9 plain bell-cranks being interspersed with the drive-arms of the various bails. Y

2. In a portable typewriting machine having a standard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less width than the key-lever system, a system of driving connec tions between the key-levers and the typebars, said driving connections including bellcranks, some of which are plain or flat and others of which are in the form of bails extending inwardly from the outer key-levers, each-bail including an outer power-arm engaging its key-lever and also including an inner arm connected to drive the type-bar, the plain bell-cranks being interspersed with the drive-arms of the various bails, and substantially parallel links connecting all of the bell-cranks with the type-bars, said bellcranks all working in parallel planes, and said links lying substantially in said planes.

3. In a portable typewriting machine having a standard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less width than the key-lever system, a system of driving connections between the key-levers and the typebars, said driving connections including bellcranks, some of which are plain or flat and others of which are in the form of bails extending inwardly from the outer key-levers, each bail including an outer power-arm engaging its key-lever and also including an inner arm connected to drive the type-bar,

the plain bell-cranks being interspersed with the drive-arms of the various bails, and substantially parallel links connecting all of the bell-cranks with the type-bars, each of said bail-form bell-cranks having such length that it passes from its key-lever inwardly across several other key-levers and terminates at its inner end'in a type-bar driving arm from which its link extends directly back to the type-bar withoiit crossing other key-levers.

' 4. In a portable type'writing machine having a standard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less widththan the key-lever system, and a system of driving connections between the key-levers and the type-bars, said driving connections including bell-cranks, some of which are plain or flat and others ot which are in the form of bails extending inwardly from the outer key-levers, said outer key-levers being disposed at each side of the machine outside of the zone of the type-bar system, said bail-form bell-cranks connecting said outside key-levers to their type-bars, each to give a direct drive in a plane at right angles to the pivot of its bellcrank.

5. In a portable typewriting machine having a standard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less Width than the key-lever system, and a system of driving connections between the key-levers and the type-bars, said driving connections including bell-cranks, some of which are plain or flat and others of which are in the form of bails extending inwardly from the outer keylevers, each bail including an outer powerarni engaging its key-lever and also including an inner arm connected to drive the type-bar, the plain bell-cranks being interspersed with the drive-arms of the various bails, the connections from the outside key-levers to the type-bars at each side of the machine being substantially in the following order, namely, the outermost key-lever being connected to the seventh inner type-bar, the next key-lever to the fourth type-bar, the next key-lever to the nineteenth type-bar, the next key-lever to the sixteenth type-bar, and the next key-lever to the thirteenth type-bar. 1

6. In a portable typewriting machine having a standard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less width than the key-lever system, and a system of driving connections between the key-levers and the type-bars, said driving connections including bell-cranks, some of which are plain or fiat and others of which are in the form of bails extending inwardly from the outer key-levers, each bail including an outer power-arm engaging its key-lever and also including an inner arm connected to drive the type-bar, the plain bell-cranks being interspersed with the drive-arms of the various bails, the connections from the outside key-levers to the typebars at each side of the machine being substantially in the following order, namely, the outermost key-lever being connected to the seventh inner type-bar, the next key-lever to the fourth type-bar, the next key-lever to the nineteenth type-bar, the next key-lever to the sixteenth type-bar, and the next key-lever to the thirteenth type-bar, the remaining typebars being connected to their levers by plain bell-cranks which are interspersed withthe driving bail-arms. a

7 In a portable typewriting machine hav ing a standard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less width than the key-lever system, and a system of driving connections between the key-levers and the typebars, said driving connections including bell-cranks, some of which are plain or fiat and others of which are in the form of bails extending inwardly from the outer keylevers, each bail including an outer powerarm engaging its key-lever and also including an inner arm connected to drive the typebar, the plain bell-cranks being interspersed with the drive-arms of the various bails, said bails at each side of the machine being divided into two sets, each set being nested.

8. In a portable typewriting machine having a standard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less width than the key-lever system, and a system of driving connections between the key-levers and the type-bars, said driving connections including bell-cranks, some of which are plain or flat and others of which are in the form of bails extending inwardly from the outer keylevers, each bail including an outer powerarm engaging its key-lever and also including an inner arm connected to drive the typebar, the plain bell-cranks being interspersed with the drive-arms of the various bails, said bails at each side of the machine being divided into two sets, each set being nested, and the bails in each nest being partially nested within another nest.-

9. Ina portable typewriting machine having a standard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less width than the key-lever system, and a system of driving connections between the key-levers and the type-bars, said driving conect-ions including bell-cranks, some of which are plain or fiat and others of which are in the form of bails extending inwardly from the outer keylevers, each bail including an outer powerarm engaging its key-lever and also including an inner arm connected to drive the typebar, the plain bell-cranks bein interspersed with the drive-arms of the various bails, the connections between the type-bars and the key-levers including ten bails, five at each sidefor connectin up the ten key-levers which lie outside 0 the zone of the type-bar system.

10. In a portable typewriting machine having a standard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less width than the key-lever system, and a s stem of driving connections between the ey-levers and the typg-bars, said driving connections including ll-cranks, some of which are plain or flat and others of which are in the form of bails extending inwardliy from the outer key-levers, each bail inclu ing an outer power-arm engaging its keylever and also including an inner arm connected to drive the type-bar, the plain bellcranks being interspersed with the drivearms of the various bails, the power-arm of each of said bails being slotted to receive a key-lever pin, and all of said power-arms lying outside of the zone of the type-bar system the drive-arms of said bails lying within the zone of the type-bar system.

11. In a portable typewriting machine having a standard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less width than the key-lever system, and a system of driving connections between the key-levers and the type-bars, said driving connections including bell-cranks, some of which are plain or fiat and others of which are in the form of bails extending inwardly from the outer keylevers, each bailincluding an outer powerarm engaging its key-lever and also including an inner arm connected to drive the type-bar, the plain bell-cranks being interspersed with the drive-arms of the various bails, the first, second, fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first bell-cranks, counting from the middle of the machine, being plain or flat, and the remaining bell-cranks being bailformed and extending beyond the zone of the type-bar system.

12. In a ortable typewriting machine having a stan ard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less width than the key-lever system, and a system of driving connections between the key-levers and the type-bars, said driving connections including bell-cranks, some of which are plain or flat and others of which are in the form of bails extending inwardly from the outer key-levers, each bail including an outer power-arm engaging its key-lever and also including an inner arm connected to drive the type-bar, the plain bell-cranks being interspersed with the drive-arms of the various bails, there being at each side of the lever-system two nests of bails, the bails in one nest connected to the two outermost key-levers, and the bails in the other nest connected to the three next inner key-levers.

13. In a ortable typewriting machine having a stan ard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less width than the key-lever system, and a system of driving connections between the key-levers and the I type-bars, said driving connections including bell-cranks, some of which are plain or flat and others of which are in the form of bails )5 extending inwardly from the outer key-levers, each bail including an outer'power-arm engaging its key-lever and alsoincludin an inner arm connected to drive the type-; ar, the plain bell-cranks being inters rsed with the drive-arms of the various bai 5, there being at each side of the lever-system two nests of bails, the bails in one nest connected to the two outermost key-levers, and the bails in the other nest'connected to the three next inner key-levers, the cross-bars of the bails in the first nest crossing above the key-levers, and the cross-bars of the bails in the other nest crossing below the key-levers.

14. In a portable typewriting machine having a standard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less width than the key-lever system, and a. system of driving connections between the key-levers and the type-bars, said driving connections including bell-cranks, some of which are plain or flat and others of which are in the form of bails extending inwardly from the outer keylevers, each bail including an outer powerarm engaging its key-lever and also including an inner arm connected to drive the type-bar, the plain bell-cranks being interspersed with the drive-arms of the various bails, there being at each side of the lever-system two nests of bails, the bails in one nest connected to the two outermost key-levers, and the bails in the other nest connected to the three next inner key-levers, the cross-bars of the bails in the first nest crossing above the ke -levers, and the cross-bars of the bails in tlie other nest crossing below the key-levers, and arranged in rear of the bell-crank pivots.

15. In a portable typewriting machine having a standard key-lever system and a typebar system of materially less width than the key-lever system, and a systemof driving connections between the key-levers and the type-bars, said driving connections including bell-cranks, some of which are plain or flat and others of which are in the form of bails extending inwardly from the outer key-levers, 11 each bail including an outer power-arm engaging its key-lever and also including an inner arm connected to drive the type-bar, the plain bell-cranks being interspersed with the drive-arms of the various bails, the order 1 of the type-bars being different from the order of the key-levers, with the type-bars for the letters e and d separated by an intervening type-bar.

BURNHAM O. STICKNEY. 

